Topline
President Donald Trump announced Friday the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., which he took over as chairman earlier this year, would host the draw for the 2026 World Cup in December to determine the match schedule for the world’s biggest soccer tournament.
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will host the World Cup draw on Dec. 5, Trump said.
Trump made the announcement from the Oval Office alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino, with the World Cup trophy sitting on his desk.
Trump said it is a “tremendous honor to bring the global event and this incredible group of people and these unbelievable athletes, the best athletes in the world, to the cultural center of our nation’s capital.”
Infantino handed Trump the World Cup trophy, telling him, “It’s for winners only, and since you are a winner, of course you can, as well, touch it,” as Trump said: “Can I keep it? We’re not giving it back.”
Trump, who has floated naming the Kennedy Center after himself as chairman, claimed “some people refer to it as the Trump Kennedy Center, but we’re not prepared to do that quite yet, maybe in a week or so.”
The 2026 World Cup will take place next year in cities spanning the United States, Canada and Mexico.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.